Living in Community

Dora Wesche, Retiree, Kenya
The Call, October-December 2016

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had” (Romans 15:5 NIV).

Sometimes it takes a heaping measure of grace to live on a foreign mission station. I didn’t get the hang of it in the beginning, but failure can be the back door to success.

My husband, Bob, our 1-year-old daughter, Dawn, and I first arrived in Kenya in 1967. As we faced challenges, some memories stand out, specifically in areas of obeying authority, loving your neighbor, and “keeping up with the Joneses.”

One day, Bob had come home from a long day at the hospital, and I was giving vent to a list of frustrations. As I paused for a breath, Bob, known for his one-liners, said, “You are saying you know how to run the mission better than the mission leaders.” Totally shocked, I thought it over. I was even more shocked to realize it was true–not that I could run things better than the leaders but that I thought I could.

A new missionary had arrived on the field. His ideas were different, feathers were ruffled, and there were some unflattering comments made. During a chapel service at a retreat, this strong impression came to mind: “Do you want him to accept you just as you are, with all your faults?” Well, yes; I hadn’t thought about that before. “Then accept him just as he is with all of his faults.” I applied that lesson many times in the years that followed.

One day, the door flew open; our little toddler spread her hands out wide and in great frustration asked, “WHERE is my little red wagon?” Oh! We had brought dolls and lots of games but NO red wagon. However, since a neighbor’s child had one, Dawn wanted one, too! We all needed to learn about finding contentment in what we had. 

I learned to thank God that I didn’t have to worry about running the mission, and I marveled at leaders who were exercising their gifts of administration, of which I have none.

Today, some of my dearest friends are “old” retired missionaries as well as wonderful new “young” missionaries on the field. I am eternally grateful that God brought us together. I am also coming closer to learning to be content in all things. Being a missionary brought the greatest joys of my life. I love The One who taught me how.

ACT: Have your feathers been ruffled? Are you living in discontent? Do you need to repair your attitude toward your community? Take time this month to dig deeper into God’s Word and put into action His direction. Here is a good resource to get you started.

Prayer Calendar Dec. 11-17,2016

Coming tomorrow on The Call blog:

"One day, Bob had come home from a long day at the hospital, and I was giving vent to a list of frustrations. As I paused for a breath, Bob, known for his one-liners, said, “You are saying you know how to run the mission better than the mission leaders.” Totally shocked, I thought it over. I was even more shocked to realize it was true–not that I could run things better than the leaders but that I thought I could."

Pray for God's healing grace to cover a conflict situation in your life.

Finding Community, Making Real Connections

Nathan Vitatoe, Advance Volunteer
The Call, October-December 2016

I walked through the door, and I was immediately met with the delicious aroma of good food lingering in the air. Bright tables and chairs were coupled with the familiar sound of rapid conversations in Spanish. I had stopped by a local Mexican restaurant to see if they would be interested in having me volunteer once a week to teach an English as a Second Language class before they opened for the day. 

When my family and I first stepped back onto U.S. soil after serving North African immigrants in Spain for two years, I wasn’t sure how God was going to use us for cross-cultural ministry. However, we felt His presence and a peace about the decision to return and focus on bi-vocational ministry in WGM’s Advance Volunteer Network. The Lord has continued to expand our heart for the pilgrims of the world, this time in our own backyard of southern Ohio. There is a benefit to ministering to Spanish speakers in their own language, but many opportunities exist in communities all across our country in English. Your church might already have an outreach to immigrants that you could join. 

One of the main lessons that the Lord has taught me through working with immigrants in Europe and the U.S. is that in order to build a relationship where we can share the hope we have in Jesus, the connections that we make have to be genuine. This valuable principle of authenticity in ministry has stuck with my wife, Kenzie, and me as we approach every new ministry opportunity. Even as we began to plan for our vision trip to Spain, we utilized as a team the booklet Before You Pack Your Bag, Prepare Your Heart by Cindy Judge, which was very helpful to us.  

As travelers of the gospel, we demonstrate our love for Spanish-speaking immigrants through genuine friendship and an interest in helping prepare them for day-to-day life. Our Hispanic friends can feel isolated, both linguistically and culturally. The friendships that we have developed have opened doors to share the most important aspect of our lives, our faith and hope in Jesus Christ our Savior. 

Community isn’t something we necessarily create; it’s something that we find as we naturally connect with others. We just need to take the step—without expecting anything in return—when the Holy Spirit urges us to share the love of Christ.

ACT: Talk to your church missions department or pastoral staff about ways you can champion outreach to the pilgrims in your area or join an established ministry. It will be a personally stretching but rewarding experience.

Prayer Calendar Dec. 4-10,2016

Coming tomorrow on The Call blog:

I walked through the door, and I was immediately met with the delicious aroma of good food lingering in the air. Bright tables and chairs were coupled with the familiar sound of rapid conversations in Spanish. I had stopped by a local Mexican restaurant to see if they would be interested in having me volunteer once a week to teach an English as a Second Language class before they opened for the day. 

Ask God to help you reach out with His love to someone who needs Him today. 

God's Influence Showcased

Erin Curtis, Volunteer, with Bob Margaron, Missionary, The Center
The Call, October-December 2016

As a community outreach, The Center is catalyzing powerful shifts in the lives of people in Stockton, California. Evidence of God’s transforming power is touching many individuals and slowly replacing the brokenness of the multigenerational gang lifestyle. Recently, The Center held a special event that showcased God’s influence: the wedding of Ernesto “Daniel” and Becca De LaRosa, two community members who met at The Center as children.

Daniel and Becca met in 1997 as elementary students. Bob Margaron, director of The Center, fondly remembers Becca running up to him one day with tears streaming down her cheeks, saying, “Daniel won’t quit picking on me.” Knowing this to be uncharacteristic for Daniel, who was generally quiet and gentle-spirited, Bob asked, “Do you think he likes you?” Becca ran away, yelling, “Eww!” Little could anyone predict how Bob’s comment would foreshadow future events. 

Both Daniel and Becca came from broken households, and each family knew hardship and heartache well. Daniel grew up in a single-parent home, and Becca’s father was incarcerated for much of her childhood. Becca married a man in the Marine Corps and become a mother of two but left her husband and returned to Stockton after he became abusive. Daniel had remained unmarried and was working steadily. When Becca returned, they reconnected and moved in together. He embraced her two children as his own, and together they had a baby. 

As He grew their household, God also moved in Daniel and Becca’s hearts, burdening them with the desire to honor Him by being married. They sought Bob out. He agreed to officiate the wedding and walked with them through premarital counseling for three months. The couple also agreed to abstain from sex until they were married legally. 

Becca dreamed of marrying Daniel in the place where they’d met, so the Margarons joyfully opened The Center’s facilities for the wedding. The De LaRosas have been a testimony in Stockton. Together, they stood in front of the kids at The Center and spoke about their experience. At the wedding, friends and family witnessed their passion for glorifying God as they stepped away from sin and into His design for their lives. Bob hopes that those who see the De LaRosas will see “that God will be with them through any of their situations and that He carries them through.” 

PRAY: Pray for the missionary and volunteer staff who give selflessly to provide the children of this community stability and safety. Pray that Jesus will be lifted up and glorified in all the ongoing activities—Bible club, special events, tutoring, etc.—at The Center.